- Jul 11, 2010
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I am just about to go throught he expense of setting up another temp coop outside of my big one for my problem child. I thought maybe someone might shed some light on what's going on and save the building of a temp home. Hopefully.
I began this chicken obsession a year ago in April. I bought two of each breed (4 chickens total, it was my first year), so everyone had a match. In March we lost my Margret to a hawk. Her breed match is Matilda, my problem child. I could swear she just never got over loosing Margret. Ever since April she has been super bossy. The other two chickens with her could hold their own so I didn't feel the need to do anything. Except for the fact that she quit laying eggs around then and has not laid another since. She is healthy and BIG. This past April I got 6 more chickens and when they (the two flocks) were finally mixed she bossed them around too. Again, I didn't do anything because no one was getting hurt and I am getting used to the pecking order thing.
Now she is going out of her way to cause trouble. She bites at tails of younger chickens and pushes them around even more. Each "set" of chickens have their own roosts at night. We had one in there for the 4 girls then when we blended the flocks we put in another. She has left the roost she has been sleeping on for a year now just to go where the little ones go (some are as big as her though). She gets on there and won't let the young ones on. Every night I have to move her (eye roll). I am also noticing she is not getting along with my other two original chickens. They seem to dislike her if that makes sense.
My other two OC's (original chickens) are laying just fine. Why is she like this and why won't she lay?
I began this chicken obsession a year ago in April. I bought two of each breed (4 chickens total, it was my first year), so everyone had a match. In March we lost my Margret to a hawk. Her breed match is Matilda, my problem child. I could swear she just never got over loosing Margret. Ever since April she has been super bossy. The other two chickens with her could hold their own so I didn't feel the need to do anything. Except for the fact that she quit laying eggs around then and has not laid another since. She is healthy and BIG. This past April I got 6 more chickens and when they (the two flocks) were finally mixed she bossed them around too. Again, I didn't do anything because no one was getting hurt and I am getting used to the pecking order thing.
Now she is going out of her way to cause trouble. She bites at tails of younger chickens and pushes them around even more. Each "set" of chickens have their own roosts at night. We had one in there for the 4 girls then when we blended the flocks we put in another. She has left the roost she has been sleeping on for a year now just to go where the little ones go (some are as big as her though). She gets on there and won't let the young ones on. Every night I have to move her (eye roll). I am also noticing she is not getting along with my other two original chickens. They seem to dislike her if that makes sense.
My other two OC's (original chickens) are laying just fine. Why is she like this and why won't she lay?
